April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Professionals are noting the month as a way to alert the public about the sometimes quiet abuse of young people.
Oneida County Social Services Supervisor Brenda Lee says this year at the courthouse they put up a display with pinwheels representing the 315 Oneida county babies born in 2018. The pinwheels, she says, represent the home those newborns grow up in a safe and stable home.
She has some statistics concerning reports to their agency...
"..In 2018, the agency received 257 child abuse and neglect referrals which means there were present or impending danger sets or risks at the time the report was made. 146 of those were unfounded and 82 were founded. 29 were screened out, which means they either were duplicate referrals or did not meet the safety threshold..."
Some of the signs of child abuse include sudden changes in behavior or school performance, has not received help for physical or medical problems brought to the parents' attention, has learning or concentration problems, is always watchful, as though preparing for something bad to happen, lacks adult supervision, is overly compliant or withdrawn, wants to stay in school, and physical signs like bruising.
Lee says a significant number of referrals were for substance abuse in the home...
"Out of our referrals, 56 percent of those last year were drug endangered children referrals, which means there was some kind of substance abuse issues in the home...."
Lee says they have a drug endangered children's program which started in 2015 to intervene on behalf of children exposed to substance activity. Lee says if Oneida county residents have concerns to contact Oneida County Department of Social Services.